Hosiery filaments cutting device



United States Patent 3,382,685 HOSIERY FILAMENTS CUTTING DEVICE Bruno Albini and Bruno Taole, both of Via L. Fiorentini 29/ b, Brescia, Italy Filed Sept. 2, 1965, Ser. No. 484,564 Claims priority, application Italy, Sept. 26, 1964, Patent 738,590 Claims. (Cl. 66-145) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thread-severing device for a circular knitting machine, in which the filaments are burnt by contacting them with an electric resistance. The device comprises a rod-supported disc which is mounted in the latch ring of a knitting machine and has therebelow an inverted frusto-conical, hollow member with an electric resistor located in the cavity of said member. This mechanical configuration enables the threads to be cut to perform a spiral movement which brings them into contact with the electric resistor to be burnt and severed.

The present invention is related to attachments for conventional circular hoiseryand sock-manufacturing machines and, in particular, it is related to a special thread severing device for circular knitting machines.

The device of the present invention is intended to perform the function of cutting the fabric threads by means of electrical resistance. In essence, the device is characterized by a disc having a bevelled lower surface and being supported by a vertical stem or rod for mounting in the latch ring of the knitting machine, An inverted trunco-conical element, which is hollow and has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the disc is connected to said rod and spaced below said disc. In the hollow portion of the trunco-conical element there is provided an electrical resistor for severing the threads or filaments and consisting of an arcuated resistor connected to a pair of appropriately supported electrodes fixed to the vertical stem and carrying terminals for connection to a source of electrical current. The disc, mentioned above, has its lower surface bevelled or inclined and is provided with four slots or cuts, one for each feed of the knitting machine and angularly spaced in accordance with the spacing of such feeds in the machine. The four slots or cuts and their respective discharge openings are at a predeterminedly calculated angular distance from one another and all these openings or holes are located above the upper periphery of the truncoconical member. At the entrance to each cut or slot there is provided an angular leader which is designed to function in a counter-clockwise direction. In other words, the periphery of the disc has a number of rebates, one for each slot, to form a lead in for the associated slot. On movement of the thread guides of the knitting machine, the filament or thread being fed or dropped by the hoisery-making machine, as a result of the upward movement of the filament guiding means of the machine, is picked up by the slots, led to the hole and brought into contact with the electrical resistor which provides for severing the filament.

The advantages and objects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of its embodiment and from the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of the attachment device of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the same attachment, showing clearly the electrodes for severing the filaments or threads;

3,382,685 Patented May 14, 1968 FIGURE 3 is a partially cut-away section of the device of FIGURE 1, along the lines 33; and

FIGURE 4 shows the device of the invention assembled and mounted on the hook disc of a conventional hoisery machine.

Referring now to the drawings, the attachment of the present invention comprises a disc 1 having an upper surface 2 and a lower, bevelled, inclined surface 3 formed on the underside of the disc 1. The disc is fixedly supported by and connected to a vertical stem member 4. In the disc 1 there are provided four cuts or slots 5, 6, 7 and 8, one for each feed of thread, each slot terminating in a discharge opening or hole 9 nearer the center of the disc. The mentioned slots are predeterminedly calculated in their angular position and angular distances from the edge of the disc.

An inverted hollow trunco-conical member 10, having an inner cavity 11 is secured to the lower portion of the vertical stem 4 by means of a pivot pin 23. The diameter of this trunco-conical element 10 is smaller than the diameter of the disc 1 and suitably spaced therefrom by a distance D.

To the upper part of the stem 4 there is fixedly secured a small supporter 12 which carries the two electrodes 13 and 14, parallel to each other and terminating at their lower extremity in a U-shaped resistor 15, which is positioned within the hollow interior 11 of element 10. Terminals are provided on the upper ends of the electrodes for connection to a source of current.

The circumferential edge of the disc 1 is also provided with rebates 16, one for each cut or slot 58, these rebates having the function of carrying the filaments or threads to be cut into the slots.

The attachment hereabove described is mounted in the center of a conventional latch ring 17 (see FIGURE 4) by its vertical stem 4 which is received in the aperture of the cross piece 18 of the knitting machine.

In operation, when the threads or filaments are to be severed in order to interrupt the knitting of the hosiery, the thread-guides 19, 20, 21 and 22 actuated by their respective conventional controls which are displaced upwardly in a known manner, increase the tension of the threads and their consequent approach toward the center of the thread cutting device and hence of the disc 1. At this point, the filaments come into contact with the periphery of the disc 1, they are led by the rebates 16 into the slots 5-8 and hence into the spaces or holes 9 and, finally, they dispose themselves round the pivot pin 23 of element 10. However, when the threads engage the electrical resistor 15, which is displaced to one side of the pin 23 and which is energized by the electric circuit, they are severed by burning.

Substantially, therefore, the filaments to be cut are guided within the circular openings 9 of the slots 5-8 of disc 1 and forced to perform a spiral movement which causes the contact of the filaments with the severing electrical resistor.

What is claimed is:

1. A thread severing device for a multifeed circular knitting machine comprising a disc having a bevelled lower surface, said disc being supported by a vertical rod for mounting in the latch ring of the knitting machine; an inverted hollow trunco-conical member of smaller diameter than said disc, connected to said rod and spaced below said disc; an electric resistor passing through said disc located in the hollow of said trunco-conical member; and a pair of electrodes connected to said resistor which are fixed to said vertical rod and carry terminals for connection to a source of electric current.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said disc has a plurality of slots, one for each feed of the knitting machine, each such slot terminating in a hole.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein said holes are all located above the outer periphery of the truncoconical member.

4. A device according to claim 2, wherein at least one slot is radial to the disc.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein the peri hery of the disc is provided with rebates, each rebate forming a lead-in for an associated slot.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Wilcomb 66145 X Minton 66145 Haddad 66145 Kimrey et al 66140 Dusik et al 66-145 10 \VM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner. 

